Free The Highlander's Curse by Katalyn Sage Page B

cloth as she tucked her knees in close to her…
    He’d
never been so desperate to see more of a woman. Not even when he’d been a randy
lad chasing the skirts of the lassies in his clan.
    Elizabeth
nestled in closer to him, straightening her legs as her wee body relaxed into
slumber. Jesus God in heaven, the soft flesh of those legs tantalized him until
his heart felt as though it would burst. It may still, before the night was
through. He should cover them with his tartan, but it could wait a bit. It
wouldn't hurt to admire her first. He’d never seen such a beauty, and it would
be a shame to live the rest of his life through without memorizing every inch
of her bonny wee body.
    That
brought Cailen to thinking of the painting of her in nothing but bits of fabric
that barely covered her breasts and the patch between her legs. He nearly
groaned at the mere thought of what lay beneath that cloth. Clenching his fists
and jaw, he tried to force his thoughts from where they were. It wasn't his
place to think such things about Elizabeth. She wasn't his, nor would she ever be.
She deserved a gentleman to be her protector until she could be restored to her
family.
    And it
had been long since he’d ever been thought a gentleman of any sort.
    No, he
couldn't let his thoughts wander over what he may have seen in Elizabeth’s
eyes. He’d thought that maybe she’d desired him. And when she’d kissed
him, he was certain of her affections. At least for a time. It was likely just
the whisky, affecting her the way it often had men that were once considered
gentlemen. A great deal of him hoped it wasn't the alcohol driving the fire in
her eyes, while part of him did. He could never do anything about it anyway.
Not even when she’d glanced at him wantonly after he’d slain the boar. He
didn't ken what he might have done had she kissed him again.
    Och,
the wee lass stretched against him, rolling over and sticking her arse against
his side. Surely it wouldn't hurt if he just enjoyed this. She certainly seemed
to.
    Cailen
turned, letting his aching cock settle against the warmth of her backside. God
in heaven, could there be anything that felt better? He gently lifted her head,
placing his arm as a cushion lest she get uncomfortable in her sleep. In doing
so, he was brought much closer to her body, and wrapped his free arm over her,
holding the lass to him tightly. She moaned in her sleep: a reverent, soft
sound that went straight to his bollocks.
    He laid
there with her firmly against him, wishing for all the world that this night
would never end. He wasn't sure what he’d do when he was back to being alone
once more. Not with this feisty wee lassie keeping him on his toes.
    A twig
snapped somewhere in the surrounding forest, and as the dogs chuffed to
attention. There were multiple sounds, all coming from the same direction, and
they were far too clumsy to be from any animal.
    He
whistled quietly. Broch and Duff stood up and loped away, obeying his command.
He’d found the two hounds in these woods when he’d first moved here, the two of
them often took care of themselves and did so whenever he left. And it appeared
it was time for him to leave once more. He was still recovering from slaying
the boar, and there was no telling who was heading their way.
    There
was only one thing for certain: Someone was in the woods with them, and that
meant his time with Elizabeth was coming to an end.
    ****
    I woke sometime in the
night, feeling Cailen’s body stiffen against mine. “Hmm? What’s going on?”
    “Shhhh.”
He pulled his plaid from around the two of us. “We’ve got comp’ny.”
    I
jolted awake and jumped to my feet at the same time he did. The fire was still
burning, but the flames were only maybe an inch or two above the wood. Taking a
cue from him as he picked up his sword and sheathed it, I quickly bent and
picked up my clothes, purse, and high heels.
    “If I
tell ye tae, run that way,” he pointed to his left. “And